FRISCO, Texas — The first thing you notice is the silence.
Nobody is speaking, there is no music. From outside, you might think the Seattle Sounders’ locker room at Toyota Stadium is empty.
Roman Torres, who has spent much of the last six weeks dancing, quietly dresses in the corner. Players pass each other without saying a word. Jordan Morris is sitting and staring straight ahead, seemingly too lost in his own thoughts.
For the second straight match, the Sounders had a chance to clinch a berth in the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. And for the second straight match, the celebration — and the noise — must wait.
Seattle led FC Dallas 1-0 in the 79th minute after a first-half free-kick goal from Nicolas Lodeiro, only to watch its lead slip away in the final 11 minutes en route to a 2-1 loss. With a win at Dallas or a Portland draw or loss to the Colorado Rapids, it would have been playoff bound.
Neither happened.
Carlos Ruiz scored a beautiful chip in the 89th minute to give Dallas a comeback win and keep it alive for the Supporters’ Shield after the Rapids squandered their chance to extend their lead in their 1-0 loss to the Timbers.
“There were a couple key moments we could have done better on and overall do a better job keeping possession higher up the field,” said interim head coach Brian Schmetzer.
One of those moments came on Dallas’ first goal. FCD converted on a scrum in the box after taking a free kick on the edge of the 18. Maximiliano Urrutti was the benefactor and poked the ball past goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
“I told my team that we can’t give up any unnecessary free kicks in and around the 18-yard box because [Mauro] Diaz puts in a really good ball and they’ve got some big guys in there,” Schmetzer said. “On that first goal, credit to them, credit to the ball. It was a tough ball for Stef to handle.”
The Sounders now head back to Seattle with their postseason fate to be determined next Sunday on Decision Day with a home fixture against Real Salt Lake, a team that is also fighting for its playoff life.
The coaching staff plans to watch the film and figure out where things went wrong in Dallas. By all accounts, it was a valiant effort considering the team was without a suspended Osvaldo Alonso and an injured Brad Evans, Nelson Valdez and Oalex Anderson. Defender Chad Marshall also exited in the 63rd minute on Sunday after taking a kick to the back of his ankle. But good efforts don't win games and they certainly don't qualify for the postseason.
Seattle is not where it wants to be, especially after having won four games in a row heading into this past week. The Sounders have fought incredibly well to even give themselves an opportunity to make the playoffs. They can see it, but they can’t yet grasp it.
The Sounders have felt like underdogs for much of the season and will need that same win-or-go-home mentality against RSL next weekend. They still control their own destiny, a fact that hopefully won’t get lost in the silence.
“I’m not concerned about the team ducking their heads, dropping their shoulders,” Schmetzer said. “It didn’t happen after the Portland match that we lost. It’s not going to happen after this match. We’re going to have a full week to prepare. We believe in the way we train. The players believe.
“The team is determined. The coaching staff is determined. We want to make sure we push us over the line in a positive way."
